Foden strikes as title chasing Man City beat Bournemouth

LONDON: Four goals, four red cards and a last-gasp equalizer that will go down in English soccer lore.

It was quite the wild ride in the 120th and final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday.

Everton captain James Tarkowski smashed a shot into the roof of the net in the eighth minute of stoppage time to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League.

It was virtually the last kick of the game, sparking wild celebrations inside one of English soccer’s most venerable and atmospheric stadiums, which will be demolished at the end of this season.

“Amazing to score and what an amazing night,” said Tarkowski, whose rare goal will be remembered as one of the great moments in Goodison Park’s long history.

The “Grand Old Lady” — as the stadium is fondly called by the locals — has been Everton’s home since 1892. The club is moving to a new 52,888-capacity venue at Bramley-Moore Dock on Liverpool’s waterfront.

Tarkowski’s strike denied Liverpool a victory that would have lifted the leaders nine points clear atop the league. Instead, Liverpool’s advantage over Arsenal is seven points after 24 games.

Beto put Everton ahead in the 11th minute — the striker celebrated by hitting LeBron James’ “Silencer” move — before Alexis Mac Allister equalized in the 16th by heading home a right-wing cross from Mohamed Salah, who put Liverpool in front in the 73rd with his league-leading 22nd goal of the campaign.

An incredible finish

Then came Tarkowski’s amazing — and, to some, fitting — intervention, with his goal only awarded after a long, agonizing video review for a potential offside in the buildup.

“I just saw the ball going wide and thought, ‘Last minute, why not?’ Tarkowski said. “It managed to fall to me and I let it rip.”

The action didn’t stop there.

After the final whistle, Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure appeared to celebrate in front of Liverpool’s fans and was confronted by Liverpool substitute Curtis Jones, leading to a melee involving more players, officials, stewards and even police officers.

Doucoure and Jones both were shown second yellow cards, while Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his assistant, Sipke Hulshoff, got straight red cards. Slot might have been sent off for shaking the hand of referee Michael Oliver aggressively.

Goodbye to Goodison Park

The home fans created a typically feverish atmosphere — blue smoke filled the air around the ground before kickoff and Everton’s players were given a rapturous welcome as they arrived for the game — and they witnessed the most amazing of finishes.

“The place was boiling hot all night, emotional,” Everton manager David Moyes said. “It was an incredible atmosphere inside the stadium.”

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk acknowledged it was “intense” and had his own opinion on the post-match melee.

“I think Abdoulaye Doucoure wanted to provoke our fans,” Van Dijk said. “I think that is what I saw and Curtis Jones didn’t think it was the right thing to do. And then you know what happens if there is a little tussle.”

As for Slot’s thoughts on the game, the occasion and perhaps his own red card, they will have to wait. He wasn’t allowed to give post-match interviews after getting sent off, under Premier League rules.

The stats will show the teams met 120 times in all competitions at Goodison Park, starting with the first meeting in 1894, and each won 41 times.

It was a rearranged league game, with the original meeting — scheduled for Dec. 7 — postponed because of stormy weather.

MANCHESTER, England: Jude Bellingham struck in stoppage time to give Real Madrid a 3-2 victory in its Champions League playoff against Manchester City on Tuesday.
Bellingham sealed a stunning comeback for holder Madrid in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium after City had led 2-1 late on.
Former City academy player Brahim Diaz had leveled the game at 2-2 in the 86th minute before Bellingham’s late winner silenced the home crowd.
City had looked like taking a lead into the second leg at the Bernabeu next week after two goals from Erling Haaland.
His penalty in the 80th had given City the edge after Kylian Mbappe had canceled out the Norwegian’s first half goal after the break.
Paris Saint-Germain took a big step toward the Champions League round of 16 by beating Brest 3-0 in a first-leg playoff match.
Ousmane Dembélé scored twice and Vitinha converted a penalty to put the French champion in control.
Having made hard work of the new-look league phase of the tournament, it would take a major upset in the second leg in Paris to deny PSG a place in the next round.
The Qatar-backed PSG is one of the wealthiest clubs in the world, but was in danger of early elimination before securing the lifeline of a playoff by finishing 15th in the 36-team league.
Perfect 10
Dembélé’s double saw him score for a 10th game in a row, with 18 goals during that streak.
It was from his shot that led to PSG’s 21st-minute penalty after Pierre Lees-Melou handled in the area. Vitinha converted the spot kick.
After Brest striker Abdallah Sima headed a corner against the post, Dembélé got his first goal in the 45th when he broke free down the right and curled a shot inside the post.
His second came in the 66th when he pounced on a loose ball and burst into the penalty area to score his 23rd goal of the season.